A concern for robotic vacuum designers and manufacturers is maximizing the volume of the robotic vacuum's dust bin. A dust bin collects hair, dirt and debris that has been vacuumed and/or swept from a floor. When a dust bin is full, it is preferable to have the robotic vacuum detect the full bin and alert the user that the bin is full and/or require that the user empty the bin before the robotic vacuum continues to operate. It can also be helpful to detect when large debris has entered the robotic vacuum, for example debris that is too large to pass through the entrance to the dust bin, although the cost of providing multiple sensors to detect both large objects and a bin full status can be prohibitive.
An impeller can be located in a robotic vacuum dust bin to pull air carrying swept dirt, hair, and debris into the dust bin. Upon entering the bin, debris settles in the bin and air exits the bin toward the impeller through a filter that cleans the air before it is pulled from the dust bin through the impeller and exits the robotic vacuum through an exhaust area to re-enter the environment. The air filter can decrease the impeller's ability to pull air through the dust bin, particularly when the filter is dirty.
Certain types of dust bins include a handle, button, lever, or the like that is pressed to release the dust bin from the robotic vacuum chassis, for example, to empty its contents. The handle can be located on an outer perimeter of a top surface of the robotic vacuum, releasing the dust bin as it is pressed downward into the robotic vacuum chassis. In certain instances, a user may attempt to carry the robotic vacuum by grabbing the robotic vacuum at the dust bin release handle, inadvertently unlatching the dust bin and potentially causing the robotic vacuum to drop from the user's hand—leaving the user holding only the dust bin.